Staying Single or Saying “I Do”: Exploring Well-Being Differences among Adolescents in Abu Dhabi

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Open Journal of Social Sciences

Publication Date

1-3-2025

Abstract

This study examines the well-being differences between adolescents aged 15 -19 in Abu Dhabi who intend to marry and those who do not, using data from the 5th Quality of Life survey. The analysis focuses on various well-being indicators, including subjective physical and mental health, social relationships, and life satisfaction. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA are employed to identify significant differences between the two groups. The results reveal that adolescents intending to marry experience higher levels of anxiety but report greater social engagement, life satisfaction, healthy lifestyle behaviours (eating healthy food, and sport and activities), and religious practices (often practising religion) compared to their peers who do not plan to marry. However, no significant differences were observed in indicators such as sadness, loneliness, and trust in others, suggesting that marital intentions influence some aspects of adolescent well-being less. These findings highlight the complex interplay of social, psychological, and behavioural factors shaping adolescent well-being, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

ISSN

2327-5960

Publisher

Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.

Volume

13

Issue

01

First Page

284

Last Page

298

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

adolescent well-being, marital intentions, life satisfaction, anxiety, social engagement

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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